1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for reducing the effectiveness of a ballistic projectile on an object.
2. Description of the Related Art
In combat situations, it is desirable to protect vehicles, such as tanks, personnel carriers, or the like from armor-piercing projectiles as well as from small arms fire. Accordingly, these types of vehicles are known to have armor to reduce the likelihood that such rounds will penetrate the vehicle. If the rounds penetrate the vehicle, the occupants of the vehicle may be injured or the vehicle's ability to operate may be impaired. It may also be desirable for the armor to be able to survive multiple rounds striking the armor in close proximity to one another, so that the integrity of the vehicle is not compromised.
While protecting the vehicle and its occupants is generally of primary importance, other factors may play a role in the design of armor for the vehicle. It is typically desirable for the vehicle to be as lightweight as possible. Generally, fuel consumption by the vehicle increases as its weight increases. A heavier vehicle usually requires a heavier drive train than a lighter vehicle, which further increases weight. Increased weight may also reduce the mobility of the vehicle and, thus, reduce the utility of the vehicle in combat. As the weight of the vehicle's armor contributes to the overall weight of the vehicle, it is often desirable for the vehicle's armor to be as lightweight as possible. Many known armor systems, while protecting the vehicle from ballistic damage, add significant weight to the vehicle and provide little or no additional structural strength to the vehicle.
It is also generally not desirable for the vehicle's armor to greatly increase the overall size of the vehicle (e.g., the vehicle's height, width, length, volume, and the like). It may be desirable for existing transportation equipment (e.g., trucks, trailers, aircraft, and the like) to be capable of transporting the vehicle. If the size of the vehicle is increased over previous vehicles, the existing transportation equipment may not be capable of transporting the vehicle, or the existing transportation equipment may be limited to carrying fewer vehicles per load. The overall size of the vehicle may also be a factor in combat situations. Generally, smaller targets (i.e., smaller vehicles) are more difficult to hit with artillery, such as rockets, mortars, missiles, and the like. Thus, it may be desirable for the vehicle's overall size to be smaller, rather than larger, to reduce the likelihood of an artillery hit.
It is also generally desirable that the vehicle's armor be durable. During combat and during travel between combat locations, the vehicle may encounter flying rocks, debris, shrapnel, and the like. If the armor is overly thin or brittle, it may not be capable of surviving impacts from such sources.
Cost may also be a consideration in vehicle armor. Armor that uses exotic materials (e.g., laminated ceramics of boron carbide, silicon carbide, and alumina; fiberglass/epoxy laminates; fiberglass/phenolic laminates; and the like), or armor that has many components in difficult-to-produce configurations, may be quite effective in combat but may be unaffordable.
The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing, the effects of one or more of the problems set forth above.